June 12, 2014
Aquarium celebrates five years and half a million visitors
Sidney, BC – The month of June marks significant milestones for the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre; not
only will the aquarium be celebrating its five year anniversary on June 20th, it will also welcome its
500,000th visitor.
In celebration of five years of ‘hands on, hands wet’ education, the aquarium will be offering special
birthday-themed programming over the weekend of June 21st and 22nd that will include ‘Pin the Tail on
the Urchin’, sea star crafts, and a collaborative kelp forest art project. “Our community has truly
embraced the aquarium over these last five year,” says Marketing Manager, Christina Smethurst, “so the
celebration is also a thank you to our members, donors and supporters.
The history of the Centre begins in 2005, a proposal was approved to combine the Marine Ecology
Centre and Sidney Whale Museum into a marine-focused education centre. Just four years later, thanks
to funding from a provincial grant, the Town of Sidney, and private and corporate donations (including a
one-time donation from Shaw Communications - the largest single donation given by Shaw to a charity
on Vancouver Island at the time), the aquarium was opened to the public.
Over 2,000 spectators attended its grand opening on June 20th, 2009, including representatives from the
Coast Salish First Nations people, local council members, donors and supporters as well as special guest
speaker, Celine Cousteau.
In just five years, the aquarium holds the remarkable tally of bringing500,000 visitors face-to-face with
the wonders of the Salish Sea.. “Around half ofour visitors are from southern Vancouver Island,” says
Marketing Manager, Christina Smethurst, “but the other half have come from all corners of the
globe…including a family from Moldova just this week!” The aquarium has averaged 100,000 visitors a
year; a staggering number for an attraction nestled in a town of less than a million residents. “We’re
proud to be not just a local favorite, but also an attraction that draws tourist footsteps to Sidney.”
The aquarium opens daily at 10am. For more information, visit their website: www.oceandiscovery.ca
Media Contact: Christina Smethurst, Marketing Manager-250.665.7511-marketing@oceandiscovery.ca
About Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is an aquarium and marine education centre focused on
the diverse ecosystem of the Salish Sea. www.oceandiscovery.ca. It is a not-for-profit community facility. Funds to operate the
aquarium and associated education programs come from admissions revenues, memberships and generous community support
through donations. Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is governed, funded, and owned by the New Marine Centre Society a
registered charity. The Centre is located at 9811 Seaport Pl on the waterfront in Sidney, BC.